


Sanctuary

by Evergreens12345



Category: Transformers: Prime, Transformers: Rescue Bots
Genre: Canon Compliant, Crossover, During Canon, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:02:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29545554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evergreens12345/pseuds/Evergreens12345
Summary: Optimus has done everything in his power to keep the Rescue Bots a secret. But some secrets can't be kept forever. Especially not when Jack's life is at stake.
Comments: 17
Kudos: 76





	1. Chapter 1

Jack had never been so tired.

Sometime after the first couple of days, he'd lost track of exactly how long it had been since he'd escaped from Knockout's cab. It felt like an eternity.  
Meanwhile, he still hadn't gotten over the shock. How had he ended up in this situation?

Huffing and puffing, he slowed to a walk and glanced over his shoulder for the trillionth time. Knockout and Breakdown were somewhere behind him, playing cat and mouse. With their ship only a GroundBridge away, they could refuel and keep following as long as they wanted. Days even. And they didn't get tired each time they caught up and chased him, leading to countless close calls.

Jack too was only a GroundBridge away from home, if he could actually manage to get ahold of the Autobots! He'd tried until his phone died, but all he heard were rings. He'd had no such luck with his mom, Raf or Miko either.

So there was nothing for Jack to do but keep moving. He'd spent all the cash he had on him on gas station snacks and busses. All he had now was his survival kit, which wouldn't do much, and his phone which was low on battery.

His mind had been in a constant state of overdrive ever since he'd followed Miko through that GroundBridge. Again. He remembered that much, but the details of how he'd gotten from there to here were a blurr. Did the Autobots even know what had happened? Did Miko?

Over the days, he had weakened considerably. He winced as he touched the makeshift bandage around his left temple, acquired from his last run in with his pursuers. It, just like half of his face, was coated with dried blood. And he was getting dizzier with each step.

If he didn't contact the base soon, Jack was a goner.

Spotting a park bench ahead, Jack slid his nearly dead phone out of his pocket. He'd finally managed to get a little juice into it at his last stop, but only minutes later, Knockout had appeared, forcing him to run again. It would have to be enough.

Jack collapsed onto the bench and dialed the commlink number again. "C'mon, pick up, pick up." He pleaded. More exhaustion swept over him as his body realized it had stopped moving and went slack.

As he listened to the rings, waiting for an answer, Jack felt a few tears prick the corners of his eyes. What was his Mom doing right now? How was she coping with his disappearance?  
And Arcee...  
He shook his head to clear it, but it was beyond murky now. "Please." He urged his phone.

As if in response, Ratchet's voice cut through the clouds in his mind. "Jack! Are you okay? Where are you?" At first Jack could only stare at his phone. The millionth time was the charm? Then it clicked and he shook off the shock.

As he found his voice, he would have laughed in pure relief if he wasn't so groggy. "R-Ratchet! I don't know where I am. I've been running for a while...Knockout and Breakdown have been following me this whole time and..." Distantly, Jack could hear the exhaustion in his own voice as it trailed off.

"Scrap! Jack, stay with me! I'm tracing your cell phone signal, but we can't reach you right now! I've only just gotten the commlinks back up, and the GroundBridge is down!" Jack closed his eyes as his heart sank. No GroundBridge. His only way of escape. And the Cons could be on his tail right now.

"Jack, are you injured?" Optimus's deep voice joined the call. Jack nodded slowly before remembering he was on a phone call. "Yeah. I hit my head on a metal beam while I was running from Breakdown." His head was really swimming now. "I think I've got a concussion."

"Your signal is coming from somewhere off the coast of...Maine." Ratchet sounded surprised. "How in the Allspark did you get all the way out there?"  
Jack groaned softly. "I can't really think right now..."  
"Explanations can come later, old friend. Our first priority is getting Jack to safety."  
"Without a GroundBridge? We can't even _get_ to Jack!"

"Is Arcee there?" Jack broke in. "Or my mom?" He really needed to hear their voices. And let them know he was alive.  
"No, Jack. Only Ratchet and I are currently at the base. But we will inform them both that you have been located."

"What do I do? I don't think I can run anymore." Jack rubbed at his eyes, trying to stay awake.  
Optimus waited a moment before answering. "Remain there." He finally said. To Jack, he sounded hesitant. Or was it his grogginess?  
"We may be unable to reach you, but I will contact a team that can. They live not far from your present location."

Jack blinked hard, but the bluriness only got worse. "What?"  
"Stay put Jack, and stay low." Optimus repeated. "Help will soon arrive. They will see to your safety until Ratchet can repair the GroundBridge."

Ratchet cursed in the background. "Blasted Earth tech!"  
Jack crouched low on the bench and peeked up over the back. He almost wished Knockout and Breakdown would show up just so he didn't have to wonder where they were.

"Who's coming? Are there other Bots on Earth?" Jack asked skeptically.  
But Optimus didn't answer. Jack couldn't make out what he was saying. "Optimus?"

He was so tired. He wanted to demand answers, but he just didn't have the energy. Jack curled up in a ball on the bench. He'd just have to trust Optimus. And he did. If he said help was coming, then help was coming.

His consciousness suddenly dipped, making him jerk somewhat awake. He was going to pass out at any moment. Jack rubbed his eyes more vigorously. He needed to stay awake at least until Optimus's help arrived. When he knew he wouldn't wake up on the Decepticon warship, or back in Knockout's cab. Or not wake up at all.

He tried to focus on Ratchet's grumpy voice. "Useless, completely useless. I don't need this." Despite the circumstances, Jack smiled. He'd never been happier to hear the old bot's grumbling. Amazing, the things one took for granted before being dragged off and chased across the country.

But as time passed, Jack struggled more and more to force open his heavy eyelids. Then somewhere in his mind, he registered an approaching hum.

He tilted his head upwards, and spotted what looked like a blurry orange and white helicopter coming down to land near his park bench.  
"Do not worry, Jack." came Optimus's fading voice. "You are in good hands." With those words, the battery died.

And as Jack's phone went dark, so did everything else.

* * *

The call abruptly cut off. Optimus watched the tracking indicators on the screen. They told him Blades of Rescue Force Sigma 17 and his human partner had just arrived at Jack's location.  
They also told him the two pursuing Decepticons were very close.

It had been a risk, contacting the Rescue Bots here. If the Decepticons were to discover them, he had no doubts that they would quickly destroy them. Anyone perceived as Autobot allies or sympathizers would be in grave danger, and the Rescue Bots were no warriors.

But it was a risk he was willing to take, if it was the only way to save Jack's life.

Blades's signal began to move, back over the ocean, towards the little island of Griffin Rock. Optimus felt himself relax. The Decepticons had not seen him. A moment later, their signals vanished as they gave up their search and GroundBridged back to their ship.

Optimus gave a nod. "Jack is safe." He informed Ratchet, who had thrown himself back into his work on their own GroundBridge. Ratchet glanced at him long enough to nod back. "Good. Arcee will be glad to hear it."

Optimus looked up as said bot shot through the hall and into the main hangar. Arcee transformed so fast she almost slipped. "Where's Jack?" She demanded.  
Optimus put out a hand to steady her. "He is safe." He repeated. "But we will be unable to bring him back until Ratchet can repair the GroundBridge."

Arcee whipped around and marched over to Ratchet. "Is it..."  
"Almost done? No!" Ratchet cut her off. "In fact, the more I fix, the more damage I find. That blasted surge has done more damage than a swarm of scraplets!"

Arcee opened her mouth, but Ratchet glared at her. "Arcee, I'm working as fast as I can!" He sighed, and his optics softened. "Rest assured, once I'm done, you'll be among the first to know. But for now, the best thing you can do for Jack is let me work."

Arcee stared at him a moment longer, and turned away, looking dejected. Optimus could see that she had been trying to be strong throughout the past five Earth days, but Jack's disappearance had taken its toll.

"Arcee?" Optimus spoke up.  
She turned to face him. "Where is he?"  
Optimus gestured for her to follow him to the silo's hallways. He had a lot to explain. Since Jack was involved, she deserved to know.

* * *

"I must ask that you keep this a secret." Optimus finished. "If the Decepticons were to discover their existence..."  
Arcee gave a single nod. "I understand." She responded curtly. Optimus hummed and turned back the way they came, leaving her to follow and try not to look like a sulking child.

When the two Autobots returned to the main hangar, Bulkhead and Bumblebee had arrived with Miko and Raf. All four looked up as they approached.

Arcee didn't know what to think. She hadn't considered that any civilian bots had survived the fall of Cybertron. And now she had to trust four of them to protect Jack from the Cons.

Optimus had assured her that Breakdown and Knockout hadn't seen Jack's rescuer, but she didn't feel any better. If the Decepticons found them, how were a team of bots without any warrior training going to protect Jack?

She hated feeling so helpless. Jack needed her, and she couldn't even get to him.

"Ratch told us Jack has been found." said Bulkhead.  
"Is he alright?" Miko looked up at Arcee, then down at the floor. Her voice sounded small.  
Arcee looked away. "He's...alive."  
"Jack will be fine." Optimus said. "He is safe, and will be cared for until we can Bridge him back."  
Miko let out a long sigh of relief, as did Raf. But she still didn't meet Arcee's optics.

"It's not your fault, Miko." Arcee inwardly winced at the tension in her voice, which made the girl shrink even more. It wasn't for the reason Miko thought, but Arcee didn't dare say more lest she raise questions. "Jack chose to follow you." Miko shuffled her feet, eyes downward.

It was too much. Arcee pushed past the newly formed group and headed for the tunnel. "I'm going back on patrol." She shot over her shoulder as Ratchet looked up. At least then she would be doing something. Worrying wouldn't help Jack.

Arcee transformed and drove through the hall, then back into the open Nevada desert.  
_This Rescue Team better know what they're doing._

Because Arcee didn't know what she would do if Jack never came back home.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack blinked open his eyes to a white hospital room and a vicious headache. He groaned softly.

An older looking woman with mustard colored hair stood nearby. She looked up from her clipboard and smiled. "Hey, you're awake! That's good."

Jack shakily sat up. His entire body ached like it had never ached before."Where am I?"  
"Steady." The woman hurried over and raised the back of his cot to give him support. Jack gratefully sat back. "You're in Griffin Rock. Chief Burns said you had a bit of an accident on the mainland."  
The past few days came back in a flood. The Cons, the ambush, his capture....  
The doctor looked him over. "How do you feel?"

Jack hesitated. How much should he say? He lightly rubbed his temple with a wince. The crusty handkerchief had been replaced with a real bandage. But it still throbbed with a burning passion. "I hit my head."  
"Yes. You have a small cut, but it isn't deep." She give him another smile. "It wasn't as bad as it probably looked. Head wounds bleed a lot."  
Jack drowsily nodded. "Thanks."

The doctor stepped back. "Chief Burns wants to talk to you, so I'll give you some time to wake up a bit. Then I'm going to check you over one more time and hopefully let you go." She gave him a last smile and left him alone.

Jack felt a pang of homesickness deep in his stomach. This doctor was nice, but he couldn't help but wish it had been his mom he'd woken up to instead. He glanced towards the large window and imagined Arcee was waiting for him outside. Or Raf. Or Miko, ready to give him one of her choking hugs. But he was in Griffin Rock, not Jasper. Arcee probably didn't even know where he was.

The door opened again, getting his attention. A police officer with all gray hair and a matching mustache entered. He greeted Jack with a reassuring smile. "Hey, it's Jack, right?"  
Jack nodded. "How did you know?"  
"Optimus told me."  
Jack blinked hard. "You know about the Autobots?"

The officer nodded. "My family has been working with Cybertronians for a while now." He stepped further in and sat in the chair across from Jack's bed. "Optimus called us, and told us one of the human kids on his team needed rescuing, but he couldn't get to you."  
Jack gave a small smile. "Right. He did say he was sending help."

"I'm Chief Charlie Burns. As soon as Dr. McSwain gives you the all clear, you can come with me. We've got room for you at the firehouse until Optimus and his team can get you back."  
Jack glanced back at the window. The GroundBridge had been down for days. Who knew how long it would take to get it running again?

"Don't worry, Jack." said Chief Burns as if he had read Jack's thoughts. "It can't be too long before you can go home. But in the meantime, I'm sure the Bots are eager to ask you a few questions."  
"Bots?" Jack snapped back to attention. Chief Burns chuckled. "Yep. Four of them live in the firehouse with my family."  
"You _live_ with them? In the same building?" Jack tried to imagine Arcee living in his house. She barely fit in the garage in bot mode.  
"You'll see." Chief Burns didn't bother to hide his amusement.

Jack rested his aching head back against his pillow. "Was I out for long?"  
"Only a couple of hours. You didn't look so good when Dani and Blades brought you here."  
"Tell me about it." Jack moaned.

A quick knock came from the door, and the woman from earlier, Dr. McSwain Jack guessed, came back in. "Okay, Jack. Now that you're awake, I'm going to give you a quick checkup to make sure everything's going smoothly."

Jack bit his tongue on any complaints as she shone a bright light into his eyes, and asked him a few questions. Stuff like, does your head hurt? Do you feel sick, lightheaded or dizzy? Do you remember what happened?

Finally, Dr. McSwain took a step back. "Okay, I don't see anything serious. Just that cut, and you show symptoms of a mild concussion. Those will heal up soon enough if you take it easy for the next little while. I recommend you also stay away from the TV for a few days, just to make sure you don't strain your mind too much."  
Jack resisted the urge to rub his head. "Okay."

Dr. McSwain frowned a little. "You also look a little malnourished and dehydrated. How much have you been eating and drinking?"  
Jack didn't know how to answer that. It certainly hadn't been by choice, but how was he supposed to explain that he'd been hounded for days by a couple of giant alien robots disguised as cars? "Not much. I guess I'd better fix that." He gave an uncomfortable smile.

Dr. McSwain nodded. "You've got that right. You need the energy." Jack nodded in agreement, which seemed to satisfy her.  
She turned to Chief Burns. "He should okay to leave. If his head hurts, you can give him an ice pack. Just make sure he has enough food and water, and gets plenty of rest. I can tell he's been through a lot." She added with a gentle glance at Jack.  
Chief Burns stood up. "Thank you doctor."

He walked over to Jack's cot. "Jack, can you walk?"  
"We can wheel you out if you're too sore." Dr. McSwain offered.  
Jack shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I'll walk."  
He slowly slid his legs off the cot and stood up.

Scrap. He didn't even know it was _possible_ to ache so much. His own legs trembled under his weight, threatening to drop him right then and there.

"Take it easy, son." Chief Burns put a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Stretch your legs for a bit, see if that helps."  
Jack complied. It seemed to help the stiffness a tad, but the soreness wasn't going anywhere. "I think I'm out of shape." He said with an uneasy smile, only half joking. "But let's go."

Dr. McSwain led them through a few hallways until the front doors came into sight. Chief Burns had to steady Jack a few more times on the way, but for the most part, he was able to grit his teeth and push through the pain.

Bright sunlight greeted them as they stepped outside. And so did a group of people.

"There's Dad!" A boy likely not much younger than Raf trotted over, followed by three other people. "So this is him?" Asked a young man with the brightest orange hair Jack had ever seen. His eyes went immediately to the bandage around Jack's head.  
"I'm Jack." Jack said awkwardly. Dr. McSwain chuckled, wished him luck and went back inside.

Chief Burns seemed surprised that they were all there. But he nodded and turned to Jack. "Allow me to introduce you to my family. This is Kade, Graham, Dani and Cody." He looked over their heads at the road and added more quietly, "And the Bots, too. I didn't know you were all coming."  
"We couldn't wait." said Dani with a smile. "Especially not Blades."

Jack soon found himself almost completely surrounded by people. "Are you really from Optimus's team?" Cody asked with what looked like awe.  
Jack blinked some more and forced a smile as questions came from all sides. "Yep. That's me!"

"There'll be time for questions later." Chief Burns broke in. "We need to get Jack settled into the firehouse first. He's had a long day."  
Jack gave him a grateful look and let him lead him down the hospital steps. The excited chatter continued behind him. Jack lightly shook his head in bewilderment. He'd gone from running for his life to being treated like a celebrity in just a few hours. By people who knew about the Autobots no less. And Optimus obviously knew about them.

As they walked, Jack recognized the orange and white helicopter who had rescued him. Next to it sat a police car, a green bulldozer and a firetruck. They must have been the other Autobots.

Chief Burns led Jack towards the police car. "We're not far." He promised. "It's a small island."  
As they approached, the passenger side door opened on it's own. Jack was used to this, but it felt weird coming from a car he'd never seen before.

Chief Burns carefully helped Jack into the seat. "Jack, this is Chase."  
Jack met the eyes...or optics of an unfamiliar face on a dashboard screen.  
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." said Chase before he could react. Jack blinked. "Yeah, you too."  
"And may I add that you look much better than you did when Dani and Blades found you?"  
Jack gave a tired sigh and blinked. "I don't feel much better."  
Chase searched his face. "Is that why you are blinking excessively?"

Chief Burns appeared in the driver's seat next to him. "He got a concussion." He explained. "So there's bound to be a bit of pain. We'll get you an ice pack once we get home."

Jack nodded absently. Even through his headache, he had questions of his own welling up. "I didn't know there were other Autobots on Earth."  
"We are called Rescue Bots." Chase told him.  
"'Rescue' Bots?" Jack had never heard that term.  
"Here to serve, save and protect." said Chase proudly.

"We'll explain everything at the firehouse." Said Chief Burns with a smile. He pressed an odd device pinned to his shirt. "Okay team, let's head home."

A siren blared suddenly, making Jack flinch violently. His already aching head wasn't too fond of the loud noise.

"And better leave off the siren this time, partner." Chief Burns quickly added.  
"Apologies." Chase turned off the siren and pulled away from the curb.

Jack looked out the window. People were out and about, going about their normal lives as if the last few days hadn't happened. He frowned as something occurred to him. Where had Breakdown and Knockout gone?

"You wouldn't happen to have seen a couple of sketchy cars around, have you?" He asked, clenching and unclenching his hands on his knees.  
"Sketchy how?" Chief Burns asked, giving him a glance.  
"I do not believe I have seen any drawings of cars around here, sketched or otherwise." Chase put in helpfully, though he gave Jack a confused look.

Taken aback, Jack shook his head. "No, real cars. Decepticons."  
Chase's optics widened slightly. "Decepticons? Here?"  
"Yeah. Their names are Breakdown and Knockout. They've been following me."  
"Stalking and harassing an innocent human? How shameful!" Chase scowled, looking outraged at the very idea.  
"Yeah." Jack muttered, thinking back to all the times he'd been chased, threatened, grabbed and shot at during his time with the Autobots. "Shameful."

"Dani and Blades weren't followed." said Chief Burns. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."  
Jack let out a long breath. "That's a relief."  
Chief Burns furrowed his brow. "After you've rested, you wouldn't mind telling me everything that happened, would you?"

"Yeah. Sure." Jack leaned his head back as memories started filling his mind. Now that he had room to stop and think, they were becoming clearer. "It's coming back to me. I just need to come to terms with all this." He gestured to everything with a wave of his arm.

Griffin Rock was way different than Jasper. But he was safe from the Cons.  
He supposed he had an obligation to be grateful for that after the long, hectic days and nights he'd just experienced, even if he was far from home.

* * *

The firehouse was more than big enough for four giant alien robots.

Jack looked around the huge garage. He could easily have believed it was built specifically for the Bots.  
"Home sweet home." Chief Burns said with a small smile as he and Jack got out of Chase.

The familiar sounds of transformations echoed through the garage, until four unfamiliar Cybertronians stood by, all looking at him. The white and orange helicopter gave the biggest most excited grin Jack had ever seen. "Oh, wow! A human from Optimus's team, here with us!"

Jack blinked, stunned into silence. With that kind of excitement, one would think he really _were_ a celebrity. _What_ _in the world is going on?_

The Bot stepped forward. "So that means you probably know Bumblebee right? Has he mentioned me? We're best buds!"  
Jack looked around distractedly, trying not to think about how incredibly _sore_ he was. "Yeah. I do..."

Chief Burns put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Hold on, Blades. Jack has just been through a rough time, and he's a little banged up. How about we save the questions and introductions until after he's had a little rest?"  
'Blades' reluctantly stepped back with a glance at Jack's head. "Oh. Of course."

Jack tried his best to look reassuring. "I just need a little time. The past few days have been a little...intense."  
The green Bot looked him over. "It certainly looks like it." He said with a worried frown.  
"How did that happen?" The red Bot added, looking at the bandage.

Chief Burns gestured for them to calm down. "Jack can explain everything later, after he's had some food and sleep. This way, Jack."  
Jack followed the police chief on shaking legs. "Wait, is that an elevator?"  
Chief Burns simply chuckled. "It is a firehouse."

"Don't worry. You'll like it here." Jack turned to Cody, who had appeared next to him. "And you're already used to being around Bots, so that makes it even better!"  
Jack stepped into the elevator with them. "Yeah. That's true. But I still don't know what a 'Rescue' Bot is. Is that different than being an Autobot?"

Cody smiled. "You'll see."


	3. Chapter 3

Arcee brought the motherboard closer to her face, squinting to take in all its miniscule components.

"No, no, I checked that one already!" Ratchet took it from her hand. "I already told you, _these_ are the ones that haven't been checked yet!" He gestured impatiently towards one of his many piles.

Arcee growled under her breath. "Well, maybe it would help if you didn't have so many piles right next to each other!" She snapped back, struggling with everything she had to maintain some semblance of patience.

She knew Ratchet was doing the same. The CMO had been working nonstop since Jack's call, and practically snarled at anyone who dared to suggest he take a break. She was lucky he had even allowed her to help. A little.

He glared at her. "What, you want me to spread them out all over the base?" He picked up a motherboard and thrust it at her. "For Primus's sake, just find any damage, and put it _here_ so I can get to it!" He pointed sharply to another pile. "If it doesn't have any, just set it aside. Don't make this harder than it already is, _please."_

He turned his back on her and looked into his microscope again, at the board he was currently repairing.

Arcee sighed and looked over her own board, searching the tiny nodes for anything fried or shorted out.

"Arcee?" Arcee started and looked up as Optimus approached. "Have they contacted us?" She asked, scrambling to her feet a little too eagerly.  
"No. But I believe it is now safe to attempt to contact _them_."  
Arcee looked around at the mostly empty base. By 'safe', Optimus meant that Jack's frantic mother, the kids and Bulkhead, the one Autobot who still hadn't been let in on the secret, were all out and busy.

She left the medbay and followed him as he walked over to the largest screen, stepping gingerly over all the removed panels on the floor. She found herself hanging back. Did she really want to see them? Yes, she told herself firmly. She had to know for sure that Jack was out of danger.

Optimus gave her a final glance before tapping into the comm system. "An alert will soon be sent to the Sigma. I expect it will not take them long to respond."

"Can we really expect them to be able to protect Jack?" Arcee asked quietly. Optimus turned to face her. "Their anonymity gives them protection, Arcee. But regardless, I do not expect the Decepticons will continue to search for Jack. As long as they do not learn of the Rescue Team, he will be safe with them."  
Arcee sighed miserably. "I hope you're right."

Optimus turned back to the screen as four unfamiliar faces appeared. Arcee felt her optics narrow slightly. These were the bots Optimus had entrusted Jack's safety to? They were definitely not warriors. They looked too...soft.

"Optimus?" The red bot in the middle greeted the Prime. He must have been their leader, Arcee reasoned.  
"Heatwave. Thank you for your quick response."  
"Of course, sir. Can we assume you're calling about the kid? Jack, is it?"

Arcee felt her spark give an irregular pulse in her chest. So Jack really had made it. Optimus gave a single nod. "Did he arrive safely?"  
"Yes sir." said Heatwave. "He's upstairs right now."  
"More like up-elevator." The orange and white bot interrupted. "There aren't really any stairs there."

Heatwave gave him a look. The bot shrugged. "What? I'm just saying."  
" _Anyway,_ Jack is resting upstairs. He wasn't in the best shape when Dani and Blades got to him, but he was able to leave the hospital and come here."

Arcee's spark sank a little at the word "hospital". Optimus had told her he was injured, but a hospital trip could mean almost anything for a fragile human. "What happened to him?" She demanded before she could restrain herself.

Heatwave's optics immediately went to her, hiding back in the shadows. "Who are you?"  
She sighed and stepped forward to stand next to Optimus. "A friend."  
"Suffice it to say that Arcee has a bond with Jack not unlike the ones you have forged with your own human partners." Optimus said simply.  
Heatwave met Arcee's optics. "Oh."

Arcee didn't look away. "How badly hurt is he?"  
"We...don't know for sure. No one stopped to fill us in. We only know what he looked like when he came out of the hospital."

"He appeared very fatigued, and his head was bandaged." The blue and white bot said.   
"He looked even worse when Dani and Blades found him on that park bench." added the green bot. "I don't think he would have made it any farther on his own."

"Then it is fortunate that Jack happened to head your way." Optimus said.

Heatwave exchanged a glance with the other Rescue Bots. "What on Cybertron happened to him, anyway? Chase said he mentioned the Decepticons."  
Arcee looked up at Optimus's face. How much did these bots know about the war?

Optimus didn't answer at first. But once he did, there was a tinge of sadness in his voice.  
"We were ambushed on an energon scouting mission. We successfully held our own, but we did not notice until the Decepticons left that Jack was missing. We assumed he had been captured. But he contacted us yesterday, not far from your island."

The orange and white bot's optics grew wider. "But, how? You're probably pretty far from us, right? And last I checked, humans can't change into vehicles!"  
Optimus met his optics with solemnity. "Only Jack knows the full story."  
Heatwave took on a determined expression. "We'll keep him safe until you fix your GroundBridge."

Optimus glanced to his left, prompting Arcee to follow his gaze to Ratchet's medbay. The medic barely touched the motherboard he was working on, as if afraid it would shatter. "That...may take some time."  
"Sir?"  
"Soon after we realized Jack was gone, a power surge took down all communications and our GroundBridge. Further inspection revealed that the damage was at a microscopic level. To repair it is delicate work, and there is much."

"Not to mention I'm the only one who can do it!" Ratchet called across the hangar, without looking up from his work.

"Do we have an estimate of how long it will take?" Arcee asked.   
Ratchet's head snapped up from his microscope to glare silently at them both. And though it was hard to tell from a distance, Arcee was sure she saw his optic twitch.   
"We do not." Optimus said calmly, and turned back to the screen before he could see Arcee's disappointment.

"Is there any way we can help?" asked the green bot.  
"Keep Jack safe." Optimus asserted. "We will do the rest."  
Heatwave glanced from him to Arcee and back. "Yes sir. We'll contact you as soon as he comes down."  
Optimus nodded. "Thank you. To all of you." He said again, before closing the channel.

Arcee stared at the blank screen for a moment before turning away with a light huff. "I still don't like any of this."  
Optimus placed a large hand on her shoulder. "These last few days were unplanned. But we _will_ get Jack back. He is strong, Arcee. He will pull through."

* * *

Jack jerked awake, already on high alert. Where was he? Where were Knockout and Breakdown? They were never far behind, so he had to wake up fast and...

He sat up, looking around. _Oh. Right._ This was the Burns' living room. In Griffin Rock. In Maine. He'd crashed on the couch before he could get a good look at it.

The lights turned on suddenly, as someone came down the staircase next to him. Chief Burns appeared at the bottom, and immediately caught sight of Jack. "Oh. Did I wake you?"   
Jack shook his head. "No. I'm good."  
"Sleep well? You were out like a light."  
Jack slowly pulled back his blanket and stood up with a wince. He still ached horribly. "Yeah. I was pretty tired." The conversation felt way too... normal after the rush and urgency of the last few days.

"You didn't even get the chance to eat anything. Care to remedy that?" Chief Burns gestured to the kitchen across from the living room. The words called out Jack's hunger. His stomach felt like it was about to start eating itself. "Yes, please."

Fifteen minutes later, the rest of the Burns family had come down, and all the attention once again fell on Jack over pancakes and eggs as they sat at a long table.

"How are you feeling?" asked Dani. "Are you still sore?"  
Jack gingerly raised a hand to his head. "I think I'll be sore for a while, actually. But I do feel better than I did yesterday."

They were holding back, likely for his sake, but he could see the unspoken questions in all of their eyes. "Wow. I don't think I've ever been this popular before."

"Well, to be fair, we didn't know Optimus had any humans on his team." Chief Burns said with a chuckle. "He won't tell us or the Bots much about it, but Chase told me their work is a tad more...advanced than ours, so to speak."  
Jack blinked. "I guess so. But I still don't know what your work is, so I reserve judgement."  
"Rescue work." Dani told him. "We're a rescue team, along with the Bots."

Jack glanced at each of them. "Rescue work? Like, firefighting?"  
"You sound surprised." Kade said, raising an eyebrow.   
Jack looked down at his plate. "It's...different." More _normal_ , he added to himself. "All the Autobots I've met have been warriors."

Kade barked a laugh. "Heatwave _thinks_ he's a warrior. Does that count?"  
Dani gave him a sideways glance. "If Heatwave isn't a warrior, what does that say about you, tough guy?"

Kade glared at her and opened his mouth, but Chief Burns raised a hand to silence them both.  
"I know this isn't what you're used to. But I think you'll fit in just fine here."  
"Yeah! The Bots have become like family." Cody added.  
Jack smiled and nodded in understanding. "Yeah. They do that, don't they?" The Autobots had become as much family to him as his mom. He would probably get along just fine with these new bots.

He shakily stood along with the rest of the Burns family. His body and head still ached, but being out of danger for one night had put him in significantly higher spirits.

Chief Burns smiled, seeming to notice. "I suspect the Bots are waiting. Shall we?" He gestured towards the hallway with the elevator. Jack fell in beside Graham as they made their way out of the kitchen.  
"I guess you probably don't get many visitors who already know about Cybertron?" He mused.

Graham smiled ruefully. "Nope. Around almost everyone else on Griffin Rock, we have to be really careful what we say, so we don't blow their cover."  
Jack chuckled softly, thinking back to the days before his mom had found out about the Autobots. "I know the feeling."

* * *

  
As expected, the doors opened to all four Rescue Bots waiting in the massive garage. Now that Jack could think clearly, he was able to get a better look at them.

He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something vastly different about them from the Autobots. The looks in their optics, the way they walked, heck, even the way they stood in place. Jack studied them through blinks, but he couldn't find the words to describe it.

Chief Burns broke him out of his thoughts as they reached the middle of the garage. "Well, team? Go ahead and introduce yourselves now that Jack is doing a little better."  
"I'm Blades!" The orange and white coptor bot immediately spoke up.  
"Boulder." The green one smiled warmly. "And you remember Chase."   
"And I'm Heatwave." The firetruck bot said with a nod.   
Jack obligingly smiled back. They all seemed nice enough.

"What's it like being on Optimus's team?" Blades asked eagerly. "Do you get to go on missions?"  
Jack blinked hard. "Sure. Optimus sometimes lets us tag along on low risk scouting trips." If only that was enough to satisfy Miko.

He shifted on his sore feet. "But every now and then, something unexpected happens. I've had my fair share of close calls."  
"Like yesterday?" Boulder said, glancing at Jack's bandage. Jack let out a long breath. "Like the past few days...a week maybe? However long it's been, it's been the worst close call I've had yet. I don't recommend it."

With a lurch, he realized that his memories were no longer fuzzy. He groaned and ran a hand down his face. "Oh man, Miko! I never saw if she made it back to base! It all happened so fast!"  
The Rescue Bots watched him in concern as he desperately looked around as if the spunky teenager would suddenly pop out from behind a wall.

"I didn't see anyone else at that park." said Blades. "You were the only one we rescued."  
"Besides," added Heatwave. "Optimus would have told us if anyone else from his team was missing."  
Jack took a deep breath, wishing his heart would slow back down. "But is she okay? She wasn't hurt?"

Chief Burns put a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe if you tell us what happened, we can figure it out."  
Jack gave a slow nod. "Yeah. Okay."  
"Maybe Optimus should hear this too." Boulder suggested. "He'd know how your friend is doing."

Jack felt himself perk up at that. "You can call the Autobot base?"  
The four nodded. "He called not long ago to inquire about your health and safety." Chase said.  
Heatwave took a step back and nodded towards a control panel Jack hadn't noticed before. "He wanted to talk to you as soon as you were able. We can contact him from our ship in the bunker."

He reached down to push a lever with a finger. With a low whirring noise, the floor began to descend. Jack looked up as the garage rose out of sight. _A hidden bunker too? A Cybertronian_ ship? _What doesn't this place have?_

They reached the bottom of another massive room, not much smaller than the garage. Jack looked around in amazement. Jasper had nothing on this. He doubted he'd ever see his own home the same way again.

Heatwave wordlessly gestured with his head towards a corner across the room, and the odd group began to make their way across. "Your ship is down here?" He asked skeptically as he followed. "But, how did you-" he trailed off.   
Cody flashed him a smirk. "The courtyard." He said as if that explained everything.

Jack shut his mouth. He could ask questions later. But first, he needed to make sure everyone back home was alright.


End file.
